1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electro-optical device, an electronic device, and a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device.
2. Related Art
Image recorders that include a light-emitting device, which is an electro-optical device, are known (see, for example, JP-A-2007-87693).
An image recorder according to JP-A-2007-87693 includes a light-emitting device including an organic electroluminescence (EL) element. This light-emitting device emits light to which a photosensitive member (photosensitive drum) is exposed.
The light-emitting device according to JPA-2007-87693 includes a plurality of organic EL elements (light-emitting elements) and a bank (partition). Each of the light-emitting elements includes an organic layer between a pair of electrodes, and the organic layer includes a light-emitting layer. The bank entirely surrounds the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting layer is disposed throughout a region surrounded by the bank. This structure of the light-emitting device allows the light emission of the light-emitting layer to be controlled for each of the light-emitting elements.
With a structure in which a plurality of light-emitting elements are surrounded by a bank, an experiment showed that the thickness of an organic layer tended to vary with the light-emitting elements. One probable reason for the variations in the thickness of an organic layer is that a fluid supplied to a depression surrounded by the bank is circulated during a drying process and is deposited in a greater thickness on the periphery of the depression.
In particular, since the light-emitting device is long and narrow, the partial pressure of solvent molecules of the fluid, as well as drying speed, differs between the central portion and the ends of the light-emitting device in the longitudinal direction. These factors further increase the variations in the thickness of the organic layer. The variations in the thickness of the organic layer between the light-emitting elements mean variations in the luminance of the light-emitting elements.
Thus, in an image recorder according to JP-A-2007-87693, the luminescence properties tend to vary with the light-emitting elements. The exposure conditions of a photosensitive member therefore tend to vary with the light-emitting elements. Thus, it is difficult to improve print quality with an image recorder according to JP-A-2007-87693.
In a light-emitting device including an organic EL element, an organic layer including a light-emitting layer functions to emit light. The organic layer is therefore also referred to as a functional layer. The term “electro-optical device” encompasses a light-emitting device. In such electro-optical devices, layers having various functions including light emission (also referred to as electro-optic functions) are also referred to as functional layers. In electro-optical devices, elements having various functions including light emission are referred to as electro-optical elements. Examples of the electro-optic functions other than light emission include a light-receiving function.
In known electro-optical devices, therefore, electro-optical elements rarely have the same electro-optical characteristics.